


What's More Important Than Survival?

by DachkiPanda



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Reflection, Garmadon deserved a happy ending, Garmadon-centric, Lloyd Wu and Harumi are only mentioned, Mentions of Death, Resurrection, also wrote this at 2am, i suck at summaries, no beta we die like zane, or to rest in peace at least
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24976504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DachkiPanda/pseuds/DachkiPanda
Summary: Garmadon has been a man of evil and a man of good. He has destroyed and created. He was lost and brought back again. In the aftermath of his resurrection and defeat, Garmadon now has to ask himself, what is more important than survival? And on top of that, will he ever be able to have it?
Kudos: 28





	What's More Important Than Survival?

In his lifetime, Lord Garmadon was the type of person no one believed would fight on the side of good. Though could it be helped? He was responsible for much destruction; he nearly plunged the world into darkness, evil itself ran through his veins for heaven's sake.

These facts made it all the more surprising that, following his defeat, every ounce of evil venom in his veins was vanquished. He was no longer the evil Lord Garmadon; he became Sensei Garmadon. It was something wonderful, and something no one could have predicted. Everyone, himself included, believed he would perish in the propheciezed final battle. His purification was a miracle he was never sure he deserved. 

There were others with the same mindset, of course. Those who believed that the evil inside of him would awaken once more. Garmadon questioned this as well. He began to wonder if this miracle he was granted was only temporary. He learned soon that he had been half right in the assumption.

Old scars were sliced open again when he and the ninja arrived at Chen's island. It was a place he never thought he would see again. Of course he was skeptical of the so-called tournament of elements from the beginning. Chen was never the type of person to play fair games. When the Anacondrai warriors were released, something became clear to Garmadon. The miracle of his purification had indeed been a temporary gift. For now that he had redeemed himself, Garmadon knew he would have to repent for his evil. He accepted this fate, though it hurt more than anything he had gone through before. It hurt to see the faces of his brother, his wife, and most of all his son. His son; the one who was banishing him to the cursed realm. The one who read the spell clearly, even while fighting the urge to break down sobbing. Garmadon saw this, and it broke his heart. He could only announce the pride he held for his boy before being sent to face his fate.

There isn't much he can remember about the cursed realm. Time did not exist there, and he spent his entire imprisonment chained in the same spot. He remembers one thing clearly though; seeing Lloyd again. It nearly brought tears to his eyes seeing the man his son had become. When Lloyd informed him of the situation, he knew again what had to be done. 

He thought destiny was cruel in this moment, but not to himself. It was cruel to Lloyd, to give him his father back only for a moment before being told he must destroy him. He remembers Lloyd's tears, and how it pained him so to have to say goodbye a second time. When the Preeminent was destroyed, everything went black. 

An eternity later it seems, and he hears a voice. He hadn't heard a voice in so long, it startled him at first. It was a girl's voice. She told him she had united the three oni masks to bring him back to life. To allow him to rule over Ninjago. He felt himself separate in that moment; one side of him refusing her calls wanting to stay behind while the other was drawn towards her voice and promises. Unfortunately, the latter won. 

He comes to in the middle of a temple. He doesn't know how he got there or when. All he knows is that the girl-that Harumi-had brought him there. She called to him, so he has to find her. He frees her from prison and begins his training. He doesn't truly know what he is fighting for, until Harumi mentions his son. He feels a twing somewhere, something telling him that his son was not the weakness Harumi claimed he was. He pushed it away however, and shortly after a battle between himself and the green ninja ensued. 

Much after that becomes a blur. He conquers Ninjago and becomes emperor, all the while weeding out every ally the resistance could have. Then came Harumi's fall.

Why she had decided to run to the top of another building, Garmadon couldn't say. When he saw her fall, it caused him the first true pain since his resurrection. And yet, deep inside himself he knew he had felt it before. Regarding Lloyd. And that enraged him to no end. Why, he couldn't say.

Following his defeat, what he knew would happen did indeed happen. The oni came to their realm. His son released him from prison to help defeat them. Temporarily housing with the ninja was a strange experience to him. He watched them fight, laugh, cry. He saw their anger, joy and sadness. He couldn't understand it. Couldn't understand how it was so important to them. Moreso than surviving. He questioned it, but never fully got his answer. Until the aftermath of the Tornado of Creation.

They defeated the oni, and were all thrown in opposite directions. Debris had fallen, and to the ninja's horror the majority of it had fallen on Lloyd. They rushed to him and pulled him out, only to discover he wasn't moving. Wasn't breathing.

In that moment, Garmadon felt fear. 

He couldn't voice it, couldn't express it. He could only step back and stare. This boy, this child who had been a thorn in his side since he was resurrected; if anything he should be relieved that Lloyd wouldn't be a bother anymore. Yet, seeing the boy so still, so lifeless, it caused his stomach to drop. His fists clenched, his heart skipped a beat. He didn't understand why, and in the moment he didn't care. He just wanted Lloyd to wake up.

And wake up he did. With a gasp and a cough, it was like life was suddenly breathed back into his lungs. Seeing him sit up, Garmadon's shoulders visibly relaxed. He hadn't noticed how tense he had been. It left him confused. He wondered why he cared so much if Lloyd died. He looked over once more, seeing the ninja lead Lloyd away to rest. His feet moved on their own, towards the monastery doors. He heard a faint farewell from Wu, but didn't acknowledge it.

For Garmadon was slowly beginning to comprehend why the ninja valued so much more than just surviving. It came to him in the form of a question, one he had already figured out the answer to.

Why fight to survive if you are unable to experience life?


End file.
